FINE GAEL and Fianna Fáil have reached a deal on rent caps - which will see the 4% limit for annual increases remain in place.

Fianna Fáil has agreed not to press ahead with its own plans to force a Dáil vote on lowering the cap to 2%.

However, in exchange, Fine Gael has agreed to implement the scheme in all five cities, and not just in Dublin and Cork.

The measures will also be brought forward to be implemented in Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

Dáil debate on the plans will now begin this afternoon, and continue into tomorrow afternoon - delaying TDs' Christmas holidays by a day.

The debate was delayed for over five hours, after chaotic scenes earlier when the government tried to take the measures off today's Dáil agenda.

Minister Simon Coveney said he could not allow the bill to forward when it stood the prospect of being radically amended - as he was not prepared to implement what he considered to be flawed measures.

That led to bizarre scenes where the government tried to remove the matter from the Dáil agenda, while the opposition called an unsuccessful vote to restore it.

The scenes prompted Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to comment, "This is new politics? New politics, my arse."

Our political correspondent Gavan Reilly filed this report for Today FM's National Lunchtime News: